Spain lockdown measures tighten

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced stricter lockdown measures that will force all non-essential workers to stay at home for the next two weeks, as the government reported 832 new coronavirus deaths overnight.

The latest moves to combat the virus in Spain, the second-worst affected country in Europe after Italy, will be approved at a cabinet meeting on Sunday and will last from March 30 until April 9.

"This decision allows us to reduce the number of infected people to a much greater extent," Sanchez said in a televised address.

The government last week agreed to spend 50 million euros ($56 million) in a deal with commercial airlines to fly citizens home from affected regions.

EU foreign ministers have agreed to share flight capacity and data to help return as many people as possible to the bloc.

On Thursday EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc had managed to repatriated some 100,000 Europeans trapped overseas.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, closed its land borders last week and the European Union has also sealed its external borders to incoming travellers to try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Germany has also imposed a ban on gatherings of more than two people, and shut schools, non-essential shops, bars and restaurants.

German Federal police officers control vehicles at the closed border to France due to the Coronovirus Pandemic

EPA

The Robert Koch Institute disease control authority on Friday reported over 42,000 confirmed coronavirus infections in Europe's most populous nation and 253 deaths.

Australians must stay at least 1.5 metres away from other people. Indoors, there must be a density of no more than one person per four square metres of floor space.

If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don’t visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.

If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.

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